I wake up with the gift of another luxurious day stretched out in front of me. I am the owner of my time and I get to choose how I spend it.

Yoga on the Dock

I lay out my matt in a semi-secluded corner of the marina with the intent of practicing yoga here. I am acutely aware of people out and about who can see me. It’s embarrassing but I have to choose. Do I skip yoga because I’m embarrassed to be seen doing yoga on the dock or do I turn my attention inward, close my eyes, and “go for it”. After yesterday’s run from the West Boat Basin to the Astoria Column, I-need-my-yoga. By the time I finish, all the kinks are released and I feel so renewed my concern over how I appear to others has faded.

Flavel House Museum

The Flavel House is one of the best preserved examples of Queen Anne architecture in the Northwest. The Flavel House, built in 1884 for Captain Flavel as his retirement home, offers 7,300 square feet of floor space in the main house. Captain Flavel amassed his fortune through his Columbia Bar piloting monopoly and later expanded into shipping, hotels, banking, real estate and politics.

The interior is complemented by 14′ ceilings on each floor. The most striking feature are the six original fireplaces and their surrounds. Each is hand carved in different hardwoods surrounded by a unique pattern of imported tiles. The Flavel House rests on park-like grounds covering an entire city block, located at 441 8th Street, Astoria, Oregon.